Students will use the law of reflection to reflect a laser beam off multiple mirrors to hit a sticker in a shoebox. Since X-ray telescopes must use grazing angles to collect X-rays, students will design layouts with the largest possible angles of...(View More) reflection. This activity is from the NuSTAR Educators Guide: X-Rays on Earth and from Space, which focuses on the science and engineering design of NASA's NuSTAR mission. The guide includes a standards matrix, assessment rubrics, instructor background materials, and student handouts.(View Less)

This is an annotated, topical list of science fiction novels and stories based on more or less accurate astronomy and physics ideas. Learners can read fictional works that involve asteroids, astronomers, black holes, comets, space travel where...(View More) Einstein's ideas are used correctly, exploding stars, etc.(View Less)

This story-based lesson presents information on the early investigation into solar and cosmic X-rays, as well as the scientists working in pursuit of X-ray detection and imaging, that set the stage for a program of space-based astronomy. The lesson...(View More) is narrated by Dr. Herbert Friedman, and includes information on his work, as well as his childhood, home life, and interests while a college student.(View Less)

This is a math-science integrated unit about spectrographs. Learners will find and calculate the angle that light is transmitted through a holographic diffraction grating using trigonometry. After finding this angle, the students will build their...(View More) own spectrographs in groups and research and design a ground or space-based mission using their creation. After the project is complete, student groups will present to the class on their trials, tribulations, and findings during this process. The activity is part of Project Spectra, a science and engineering program for middle-high school students, focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System.(View Less)

This lesson provides a way for students to determine the relationship between the distance from a light source and its brightness. Once students discover the relationship, they can begin to understand how astronomers use this knowledge to determine...(View More) the distances to stars and far away galaxies.(View Less)

In this investigation, students use "point-source" light, light meters, and graphing software to quantify the reduction in light over distance. Through careful measurement of light received at several distances, students discover the best fit of the...(View More) data is the inverse square rule. Using this rule, students then calculate the distance between the light source and the light meter at random placements. Finally, students extend this principle to model the manner in which distances to Cepheid variable stars are measured. The distance between the Cepheid (here the light source) and the Earth (the light meter) can be determined by comparing the output of the source to the amount of light received. An historic scientific breakthrough occurred when the period-luminosity relationship of Cepheids was quantified throughout the early 1900s. This breakthrough allowed astronomers to gain a more correct understanding of the dimensions of our galaxy and the universe beyond. This activity is part of the "Cosmic Times" teacher's guide and is intended to be used in conjunction with the 1929 Cosmic Times Poster.(View Less)

In this lesson, students create a timeline of world events from 1905 until 2006. Students locate key dates from the Cosmic Times poster series and determine world events that fit into the three story strands of Cosmic Times, as well as, the...(View More) categories of Science, Culture, and World Events/Politics. The timeline allows students to see how the technology and data that scientists have used over the past 100 years have contributed to the cosmological knowledge and understanding that we have today. Students can also observe the historical significance of scientific discoveries over time, and place them within the context of world events. This activity is from the Cosmic Times teachers guide and uses all six Cosmic Times Posters.(View Less)

This is an activity about shadows and how the Sun's location affects the direction of a shadow. Learners will first identify what they already know about shadows and will be asked to share any questions they may have. Then students will be taken...(View More) outside to observe and trace a classmates shadow. From this tracing, students will complete a worksheet by drawing their partner, his or her shadow, and the location of the Sun. Two to three hours later, this observation and tracing process will be repeated, allowing students to witness the movement of shadows as a result of the Earth's rotation. This activity requires a sunny day with plenty of outdoor space to trace the shadows of all students. This is Activity 4 of a larger resource entitled Eye on the Sky.(View Less)

This interactive, online activity traces the history of the telescope from Galileo's first look at the stars to the work of modern observatories. Learners will read about the milestones in telescope development, witness the interplay between...(View More) technological and scientific advances, glimpse the humanity of the inventors and astronomers behind the telescopes, find out what the telescopes discovered, as well as learn the science of light and optics. Students can work through the activity independently or in groups. Teachers may also choose to have students study a portion of the activity and then share their learning with the class. The science of light and telescopes is presented in the section called "Get to the root of it" that can be used for review, learning the basics, or remediation. Detailed teacher pages, identified as Teaching Tips on the title page of the activity, provide science background information, lesson plan ideas, related resources, and alignment with national education standards.(View Less)

In this activity, identified as the capstone activity, students will be asked to examine and analyze spectra from a past mission and compare it to simulations of data from future missions, including Suzaku. A thorough comparison will show better...(View More) data from each successive generation of spacecraft. Students will compare and contrast their findings as a class. The guide includes discussion questions and instructions for using the video - Building the Coolest X-ray Satellite: Astro-E2 - in the classroom. The video describes NASA's development of the X-ray Telescopes and X-ray Spectrometer for the Astro-E2 (Suzaku) mission. This is the final activity in the educator guide.(View Less)